Zac Hall

Apple Intelligence, Apple’s set of generative artificial intelligence features, is only now becoming public, but its biggest initial impact may already be seen this week.

Good news for Fantastical customers who have to use a PC for work: Flexibits’ robust and versatile calendar is now available on Windows.

Update: Now official.

We already know Apple is revealing the start of its M4 Mac line this week. The M4 iMac was the first M4 Mac announced, and M4 versions of the MacBook Pro are also expected this week alongside a redesigned Mac mini. However, we won’t have to wait for an official announcement to get our first look at the new Mac mini. We also now know top specs for the yet-to-be-announced M4 Pro chip.

Today’s M4 iMac announcement shows just how serious Apple is about the all-in-one desktop line.

The M1 iMac made a huge splash. It brought the return of colors, featured a giant iPad-like design, and sported a larger display with more resolution than the 4K 21.5-inch Intel iMac it replaced. Then Apple introduced the M2 chip, put it inside a bunch of Macs, and left the M1 iMac untouched.

Apple Vision Pro is a surprisingly emotional computer. If Apple Watch is Apple’s most personal device, Apple Vision Pro is the company’s most intimate.

My take on Apple Vision Pro after a month of regular use is that it’s the ultimate nostalgia machine, a portable movie theater, and a Macintosh-caliber personal computer. In this piece, I want to focus on the nostalgia component and how profound it can be.

Apple is steadily adding more states to its list of compatible Apple Wallet digital ID partners. The latest to join is Iowa, joining seven other states that support driver’s licenses via iPhone and Apple Watch.

Apple Vision Pro is one of the best ways to watch video, and now there’s more ways to find great content to view. Vimeo has released a new visionOS app made specifically for Apple Vision Pro, beating YouTube to the platform. The killer feature? Spatial video sharing.

Tesla appears to be actively developing its first Apple Watch app. Decompiled app code suggests Tesla intends for the Apple Watch to serve as a car key like the iPhone app.

Since Apple discontinued the 27-inch 5K iMac, Mac users have had to look elsewhere for a comparable desktop experience. Apple, Samsung, and LG have been the only display makers with 27-inch 5K monitors on the market for a while. Fortunately, a fourth competitor is joining the 5K 27-inch party soon, and it’s one MacBook users will appreciate.

Starting later this month, Prime Video subscribers will be able to subscribe to Apple TV+ through Amazon. Specific details about the business arrangement between Apple and Amazon are not known. However, Apple presumably believes it can reach more subscribers by offering TV+ as an add-on subscription for Prime Video subscribers.

Tim Cook’s Nike Air Max 1 ’86s aren’t the only things being “Made on iPad” this year. The National Hockey League has also turned to the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro for creative design inspiration.

Since the 1970s, NHL goalies have used customized masks as a form of expression. This year, creators of hockey masks the top goaltenders in the league have leveraged the power of the iPad to bring their designs to life.

Say what you will about AirPods Max falling behind AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 in terms of software features, but the sonic performance of Apple’s wireless over-ear headphones remains unmatched. As much as I adore AirPods Pro 2 for their peak earbud performance and ability to go anywhere, AirPods Max always impress me when I want to hear every detail of every instrument in a song.

Apple revised the hardware for the first time ever in September, replacing Lightning charging with USB-C and introducing new colors. Short of some wireless charging option, USB-C and an update from space gray to midnight topped my request list. For that reason, I turned my space gray AirPods Max with Lightning into cash and paid the difference for midnight AirPods Max with USB-C.

Midnight is closer to black than space gray was, and the hint of blue satisfies my temptation to go for a more colorful option instead. USB-C means the same cable to powers up my iPhone and iPad now can recharge AirPods Max. The Apple TV remote and Mac keyboard and mice still use Lightning, but those need charging weekly or monthly instead of every few days.

Otherwise, these are the same AirPods Max I’ve raved about since 2020. Someone else got a good deal on my old Lightning AirPods Max, and I got a cool new color and a convenience I’ll appreciate until AirPods Max 2 someday exist. For folks buying AirPods Max for the first time now, you’ll never have to wonder why they use a different charging port than new iPhones, and they sound exceptional. Anyway, read on for some hands-on shots of the new midnight finish.

Klarna, which offers monthly payment plans as a service, is now an official Apple reseller. Customers can purchase iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, Mac and more directly from Klarna’s app or website with monthly payment options.

Halide for iPhone 16 is out today with expanded Camera Control features that bring simplicity to the somewhat complex button. The makers of Halide emphasize a desire to make their app’s Camera Control features as simple and useful as tradition shutter buttons on dedicated cameras.

Here’s some feedback I’d like to put on Apple’s radar. Lock Screen customization is awesome, especially with new iPhone control options in iOS 18, but sometimes I just want to change my wallpaper. Trying out a new wallpaper has been rather complex since iOS gained Lock Screen customization, widgets, and now controls.

The Insta360 X4, the latest 360-degree action camera from Insta360, is a especially designed to work with Apple products. X4 seamlessly integrates with the Apple ecosystem, enhancing content creation, editing, and control. The Insta360 X4 leverages the capabilities of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and AirPods to deliver a powerful and streamlined experience for creators.

Apple has a new high profile partner for its Podcasts subscription business in The New York Times. The Times is effectively paywalling its archive of popular podcast feeds like The Daily and Hard Fork. Podcasts app users can unlock the full archive and more with a paid subscription that contributes a percentage to Apple’s Services revenue.

While interactive widgets were a headlining feature of iOS 17, you might not realize just how interactive new widgets can be. Weather Up 3 is here to change that. The latest version is also optimized for Home screen personalization with iOS 18 theming features.

The all-new version packs weather data for days – plus all the weather info you need to know right now – into a single super widget.

It’s not just the Siri face that’s gone in watchOS 11. Apple has discontinued the analog Chronograph, Explorer, and Numerals watch faces as well.